Interacting with the media can sometimes be intimidating, but it does not need to be. Following six simple tips for dealing with the media can help make the difference between a productive interview and a disaster.

1)Be prepared. Or more accurately, don’t be unprepared.

You’re in the middle of nine things at once, when you get a call that you’re not prepared to deal with. So don’t. Ask what they want to talk about, ask for a few sample questions, and ask for their deadline. Politely tell the person on the other end that you will have to get more information and call them back. Then, vitally important, get the information, and call them back. Make yourself some notes that answer their questions, and underscore the main points you want to get across. Don’t go into the call if you’re unprepared.

2)Know who you are speaking to.

If you get a call from the lifestyle writer for your local community newspaper, odds are they’re probably looking to write a nice, positive story, and it’s something in which you will want to participate. If you get a call from an investigative reporter at Dateline NBC and they have questions about policy, it’s probably something different and you should be more cautious.

In addition to knowing who you’re speaking to, anticipate their questions, and have thought-out, helpful answers ready.

3)Everything is on the record.

When you’re talking to a reporter, you’re never “just chatting.” Everything you say, from the minute you say hello, to the minute you hang up, can and will be used. Saying, “this is off the record” means very little to most reporters. In fact, most will say “then don’t tell me” if it’s off the record.

4)Don’t bluff.

Reporters can smell bluffing a mile away. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s OK to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t have that information. Let me get it for you or find someone who can answer that.” In fact, it’s much better to say that than to try to fake your way through an answer.

If you don’t understand a question, ask for clarification. Trying to bluff your way through an answer is going to leave the reporter unsatisfied, at best, and can be disastrous.

5)If you’re asked about a problem, talk about a solution.

The mark of a great politician for years has been the ability to take a question about a problem and provide an answer about an opportunity. So for example, if a reporter calls and asks about a safety issue, talk about all of the strict measures in place to help prevent safety problems. If the reporter asks about an issue with a web site, and appropriate answer would be to cite all of the measures in place to find and fix web site problems. They ask about a problem, you talk about a solution.

6)Don’t argue or debate.

The old adage on dealing with reporters has been, don’t get into a fight with folks who buy ink by the barrel. Always remember, they will have the last word. At worst, say “we clearly see things differently, but let me look into that further.” And again, look into it further, and call them back.

If you have questions or concerns before the interview, speaking with a media relations professional can help. Even if it’s just for a few minutes before you conduct an interview, a professional can help develop talking points, relax and focus you, and remove some of the intimidation. Ewald Consulting’s media relations department is on call to help with these kinds of situations. Call or email anytime we can be of service.

When a reporter calls, the most important guideline you should keep in mind is: “don’t panic.” Once you’re calm and following lesson one, the next most important guideline is to have a goal for the interview/interaction with the media.

By having a goal, I mean to have a message you want to convey about yourself, your organization, your event, etc. When you talk to a reporter, speak in headlines. For example, if your dream headline for the story is, “Ewald Consulting is experiencing rapid growth,” I would make that sentence a talking point.

We hear the term “talking points” used frequently, especially during election season. Simply put, a talking point is a one- or two-sentence summary of your position.

Talking points are valuable to have ready before going into an interview — whether the medium is television, radio, newspapers or online journalism. You can use talking points not only as notes for what you want to say, but also as a way to refer to key messages you want to convey in the interview. And because many of us, when we get nervous, tend to ramble and say more than is needed, talking points are a great tool to keep us “on message.”

Here are some examples, brief talking points we put together for a retailer about its Black Friday weekend hours and specials:

Responding to incredible demand from shoppers, we are again offering extended hours on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, and are distributing a multi-page sale flier with hundreds of great deals.

The great deals for convenient online shopping started in the first week of November, with our company offering free shipping with no minimum throughout the holiday season.

For those who want to skip the checkout lines, we are offering a free “buy online, pickup in-store” option at each of the stores in our network.

Hundreds more great deals are available. Full details can be found in our sale flier

As you can see, none are too extensive or overly detailed; they’re just simple one-sentence talking points designed to help the interview subject get to the point, deliver key messages and convey the most salient information to a reporter. We like to say that the seven-word answer is always better than the 27-word answer.

If you anticipate a reporter’s call, it’s good to have a set of talking points on hand. Again, speak in headlines: think of the three to five main points you want to convey – your goals for the interview – and have them ready in bullet point form. If a reporter catches you by surprise, it’s OK to buy some time. Say that you need to call them back in 30 or 45 minutes, and use that time to craft some talking points for yourself.

The Boy Scouts of America, seemingly forever, have told their charges to “Be Prepared,” even making that simple mantra their official motto. Those words, or a version of them, are ones to live by when dealing with the media, and speaking to a wider audience. Be prepared, or more importantly, don’t be unprepared.

One important preparedness key to a successful encounter when you speak publicly, be it in an interview with a local reporter, or in a conference address before 100 attendees, is to know who you’re speaking to. When prepping for a conference it’s easier to know, generally, the makeup of the audience. Use that information – who they are, what concerns them, what makes them happy – to your advantage, catering your message to answer questions they may have before they ask, and anticipating questions they may have which have not been answered, yet.

When the phone rings and a reporter is on the other end of the line, it’s a different challenge, but no reason to panic. Again, know with whom you are speaking.

If you get a call from the lifestyle writer for your local community newspaper, they’re probably looking to write a nice, positive story, and it’s something in which you will want to participate. If you get a call from an investigative reporter at Dateline NBC and they have questions about policy, it’s probably something different and you should be cautious.

A simple way to get to know your audience is to buy some time. Take down the reporter’s name, phone and email, the name of the media outlet; ask what questions they want answered and ask about the deadline for the story. It’s OK to ask the reporter to email you a list of questions. Then tell the reporter you need to gather some information and you will get back to him or her. Give an approximate time you’ll call back (generally no more than 90 minutes later) – and make sure you do call back.

In the time you’ve given yourself, find out more about the reporter and, if necessary, the media outlet. The simplest way to do this is with an Internet search. For example, searching for “Joe Smith, Northern Minnesota Times” will often produce a list of the reporter’s past stories, a bio of the reporter and some additional information about the media outlet.

With that research completed, if you’re comfortable with proceeding with the interview, take some time to prepare talking points for yourself. These are key points you want to get across in your talk with the reporter – salient facts and important opinions that you want to offer. Think about what things you would want in the story if you were writing it, and get those points across in the interview.

Some other important points about knowing your audience when speaking publicly:

Everything is on the record: When you’re talking to a reporter or in front of an audience, you’re never “just chatting.” Everything you say – from the minute you say hello, to the minute you say goodbye – can and will be used. In this era of instant social media, words can be world-wide on Twitter or Facebook in seconds, so choose them carefully. Saying, “this is off the record” means very little to most reporters. In fact, most will say “then don’t tell me” if it’s off the record.

Don’t bluff: Reporters, and most audiences, can smell bluffing a mile away. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s OK to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t have that information. Let me get it for you or find someone who can answer that.” In fact, it’s much better to say that than to try to fake your way through an answer. If you don’t understand a question, ask for clarification. Trying to bluff your way through an answer is going to leave the reporter unsatisfied, at best, and can be disastrous.

If you’re asked about a problem, talk about a solution: The mark of a great politician for years has been the ability to take a question about a problem and provide an answer about an opportunity. For example, if a reporter calls and asks about a safety issue, talk about all of the strict measures in place to help prevent safety problems. If the audience asks about an issue with a website, an appropriate answer would be to cite all of the measures in place to find and fix website problems. They ask about a problem, you talk about a solution.

Don’t argue or debate: The old adage on dealing with reporters has been, don’t get into a fight with folks who buy ink by the barrel. Always remember, they will have the last word. At worst, say “We clearly see things differently, but let me look into that further.” And again, look into it further, and call them back.